Apparatus for sizing elongated articles



United States Patent 3,291,173 12/1966 Smith etal a corporation ofPennsylvania APPARATUS FOR SIZING ELONGATED ARTICLES 8 Claims, 3 DrawingFigs.

Int. Cl...; 823k 7/04 Field of Search 266/23A,

23(N).23(O);83/419,14, 467; 198/(Inquired), 59, 60; 146/86, 17.1, 81,84, 116.1, 224

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Assistant Examiner-John E.Roethel Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson ABSTRACT:Apparatus for sizing odd length articles such as rods, pipe and thelike. A reciprocating conveyor deck having a jogging plate at one end ofthe deck, forming a barrier to article movement along the deck, formsthe sizing apparatus. The conveyor deck includes parallel sidewallshaving an article supporting deck extending therebetween in which atleast one open area is provided at a designated cut off station. Abundle of rods or other articles to be sized, is loaded onto theconveyor deck. The ties for the bundle are then cut and the conveyordeck is reciprocably driven, to spread the articles along the deck andmove the articles into engagement with the jogging plate. The short endsof the articles are then cut off equal distances from the jogging plateat the cutoff station and are allowed to drop to a carry off conveyor.

I APPARATUS FOR SIZING ELONGATED ARTICLES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ANDOBJECTS A principal object of the present invention is to provide a newand improved apparatus enablingodd length articles to be' sizedtounifomi lengths, and arranged with a view toward utmost simplicity inconstruction-and efficiency in operation.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the sizing of articles,by utilizing a reciprocating conveyor deck to jog the articles against ajogging surface and align the articles along the jogging surface andthen cut the articles to length while on the conveyor deck afterstopping operation of the conveyor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple and novelapparatus for sizing odd length articles, in the form of a shakerconveyor deck driven with a shaker conveyor action and having a joggingplate at one end of the deck and an open cutoff station adjacent theopposite end of the deck, in which the articles are moved intoengagement with the jogging plate and the short ends of the articles arecutoff at the open bottom cutoff station.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas this specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a top plan view of an articlesizing apparatus core structed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyalong line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 3-3of FIG. 1, and drawn to the same scale as FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION In FIG. 1 of thedrawings, I have shown an elongated reciprocating conveyor 10, supportedabove the ground on rollers ll, 11, for reciprocable movement in astraight line path.

The conveyor is shown as being in the form of an open framework,although it need not be open for its entire length, but may be open at acutoff station designated by a dashed line and indicated by referencecharacter A, to accommodate the ends of rods or bars 12 on the conveyorto be cutoff and dropped through the open portion of the deck at thecutoff station A into a hopper l3 beneath the conveyor, anddiagrammatically indicated by dashed lines. The'hopper 13 may havecommunication with a suitable conveyor or of itself may be part of aconveyor.

The conveyor 10 is shown in FIG. I of the drawings as being an openspaced from parallel beams in the form of channels 15, the flanges ofwhich face toward the outside. Plates secured the outer ends of theflanges of the channels 15 and are welded or otherwise secured theretoto close said channels and form generally boxlike beams extending forthe length of the conveyor. The beams or channels 15 are connectedtogether at the drive end of the conveyor by a beam 17 welded orotherwise secured to the beams 15,15 and extending thereacross. The beam17 has a connector or drive plate 19 secured thereto and extendingrearwardly therefrom, and forming a drive connector for reciprocablydriving the conveyor 10, by a reciprocable conveyor drive mechanism 20,of a conventional form. The opposite or outby end of the conveyor 10 hasan upwardly facing channel 21 extending thereacross and welded orotherwise secured to the channels 15, 15. A stiffening bar22 is weldedor otherwise secured to the web of the channel 21 between the flangesthereof and extends between the beams 15, is to stiffen said channel andchannel and accommodate said channel to limit travel of the articles 12and bring the articles into alignment with each other at their forwardends. A buffer or fogging plate 23 extends across the web of the channel21 in the plane of travel of the articles 12 along said channel andfaces the ends of the articles and is abutted thereby to form a'joggingsurface to jog the articles into alignment with each other. The joggingplate 23 is shown as being made from a plastic material. A polyurethaneplastic material has been found to be a desirable material to be abuttedby the articles moved along the conveyor by the conveying action thereofand to reduce rebound to a minimum. Various other materials having someresiliency and acting as buffers may also be used.

The material carrying surface of the conveyor 10 is formed by aplurality of parallel spaced cross tubes 25, spaced along the conveyorbetween the webs of the beams 15 and welded or otherwise securedthereto. Reinforcing plates in the general form of gusses 26 are weldedto opposite sides of the tubes 25 and extend angularly outwardlytherefrom toward the webs of the channels 15 and are welded or otherwisesecured thereto. The top surfaces of the tubes 25 thus form a materialcarrying surface for the articles to be sized, to convey said articlesalong the conveyor deck as the conveyor is reciprocably driven.

The rollers 11, supporting the conveyor are rotatably mounted on andextend inwardly of roller brackets 27, which are mounted on the tops ofposts 29 spaced along the conveyor. The posts 29 may extend upwardly ofa frame structure imbedded in the foundation (not shown) for the sizingapparatus to form a solid support for the reciprocating conveyor 10.

The shaker conveyor drive mechanism 20 is of a conventional form, and asshown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, includes a pair of parallel rocker arms30 extending upwardly of opposite ends of an oscillatably driven shakerconveyor drive shaft 31, and having drive links 32 pivotally= connectedthereto. The drive links 32 have driving engagement with a drive yoke 33extending under the drive plate 19 and connected thereto as by avertical pivot pin 35. The shaker conveyor drive mechanism is no part ofthe present invention except insofar as it provides the means forreciprocably driving the conveyor, back and forth with a shaker conveyoraction, to progress articles deposited the reon from the inby to theoutby end of the conveyor trough into engagement with the jogging plate23.

In operation of the apparatus,-a bundle of articles of random lengths,such as rods or pipe is placed on the deck of the conveyor formed by thespaced transverse tubes 25,25. The straps of the bundle are then cut toaccommodate the articles to spread out along the open deck of theconveyor. The conveyor drive mechanism 20 is then started toreciprocably drive the conveyor with a shaker conveyor action, andadvance the articles into engagement with the jogging plate 23. When allof the articles are in engagement with jogging plate 23, the shakerconveyor drive mechanism is stopped. A flame cutter or other cuttingdevice may then burn off the pieces over a predetermined length at thecutoff station A. The random ends may then drop into the hopper 13, tobe carried away as scrap. The sized articles are then bundled on theconveyor deck and removed to be transported to a source of use.

It should be understood that the articles to be sized are relativelylong and may be 40 feet long and longer, although they need notnecessarily be this long. 40 foot lengths are standard lengths for manyrods and pipes, and where the articles may be of random lengths, it isrequired that all of the articles be cut to the same length.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it should be understood that various modifications andvariations in the invention may be attained without departing from thespirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

Iclaim:

1. In an apparatus for sizing elongated articles;

an elongated conveyor deck having an upstanding jogging plate forming; abarrier to article movement along the deck;

means including a reciprocatory drive unit having connection with theconveyor deck and arranged to impart a straight line reciprocable motionto the conveyor deck, to move articles placed-on the'deck into alignedengagement with the jogging plate; and

a cutoff station adjacent-the. opposite end of said deck from saidjogging plate.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the elongated conveyor deckcomprises a pair of sidewalls having an article supportingdeck-,disposed therebetween in which the means providing a cutoffstationincludes at least-one open area in said deck, accommodating the randomends of the articles cut to size to drop through said open area forremoval.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein carryoff means is provided belowsaidcutoffstation for receiving the random ends of the articles droppingthrough said open area, and carrying the random ends of the articlesaway from the sizing apparatus.

4. An apparatus for sizing elongated articles comprising:

an elongated conveyor deck supported for reciprocable movement andhaving an inby end and an outby end;

an upstanding jogging plate extending across the outby end of saidconveyor deck and forming a barrier to article movement along said deck;

said elongated conveyor deck also having an open portion forming acutoff stationpa'nd a shaker conveyor drive unit having drivingconnection with said conveyor deck arranged to impart a reciprocableshaker conveyormotion to said conveyor deck to move articles placed onsaid deck toward said jogging plate to engage said jogging plate and bemoved into aligned relation thereby. 5. An article sizing apparatus inaccordance with claim 4, wherein the jogging plate is a resilient bufferplate extending across said conveyor deck in the line of travel of thearticles along said conveyordeck, to buff the travel of articles alongsaid deck and prevent rebound of the. articles upon engagement with saidbuffer plate. 1

6. An article sizing apparatus in accordance with claim 4: whereinthe-conveyor deck comprises a pair. of .side frame members and end framemembers connecting said side frame members together; wherein spacedcross members parallel to said end frame members space said side framemembers apart and have material supporting surfaces disposed beneath thelevel of L:

side frame members;

wherein the jogging plate extends across an end frame member and isbacked up thereby; and

wherein at least one of the spaces betweensaid cross members formsacutoff station and accommodates the cutoff random ends of the articlesto drop through the open space between said cross members.

7. An article sizing apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein thejogging plate is made from a resilient plastic material to absorb theshocks of the articles engaging said buffer plate and to prevent reboundthereof.

8. An article sizing apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein thebuffer plate is made from polyurethane.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,549,137 Dated December 22, 1970 Inven 5) Edward Berk It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 54, change "spaced" to --framework f0rmed--.

Column 1, line 56, change "secured" to -16 abut--.

Column 1, lines 71 and 72, delete "and channel".

Column 1, line 74, change "fogging" to --jogging--.

Column 2, line 40, change "the reon" to -thereon--.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of March 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.F'LETGIIER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUY'LER, JR Attesting OfficerGomissioner of Patents

